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Friday, September 16, 2011

One morning a week several tenants from the apartment building I live in get together for a coffee/tea social. We have a social room where we meet. Most of the people who, except me, are senior citizens.

They are a great group of people who are very interesting and pleasant. It really makes me happy to join them for these regular coffees.

I only drew 5 of the people. These were the ones that showed up the day I decided to draw. Usually we have a lot more people in the group but that day we only had this small group.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

This is our beautiful Oscar. Oscar is a cockatiel, which is part of the cockatoo family. He and Anthony are best pals. He loves to come out to play with Anthony every day. He will play with Alexander and me on occasion but Anthony is his favourite.

I was originally thinking of doing the above sketch in pen and ink only. However, Oscar is so colourful I could not help myself: I grabbed my coloured pencils. I felt Anthony and Oscar interacting with each other left in line drawings complement the full page of colour. What do you think?

Cockatiels are great pets full of personality. They don't talk very much but they can whistle like no one's business! They have an irritating screech when they are annoyed. However, Oscar rarely screeches. He moslty whistles, says "Hey Booboo" and gives lots of kisses. He loves to get neck scritches too, as long as it is Anthony who is doing it.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

On August 3, 2011 Anthony celebrated 55 years of life. I am modifying EDM 97 (Draw a present you have received. Why is it special?) a little to be gifts that he received rather than gifts I received.

Anthony was overjoyed to hear from two dear friends from his past. Over the years he has regaled us with stories about both these friends, and he has tried to find them. Both of them contacted me through Facebook, to reconnect with Anthony, days before his 55th birthday! This was the best gift he could have received.

When initially drawing the above images I had intended to add colour to them. However, when I finished the line drawings I really like them as they are. I debated whether or not to go ahead with the original plan to add colour but in the end I decided to keep them as line drawings. Anthony likes them as line drawing too.

We (Alexander and I) took Anthony to Swiss Chalet on the day of his birthday. There is one walking distance from our home. We had not been in over a year, so it was quite pleasant and a treat.

Alexander and I went in together to get Anthony an iPad for his birthday. He is thoroughly enjoying watching movies on it. Anthony has been at home sick for over a month with severe cellulitis in his right leg. It is extremely painful and so it is nice that he has something he can entertain himself with while stretching his leg out on his bed.

We also gave Anthony the movie Forbidden Planet in a commemorative tin.

Oscar is sitting on Anthony's head here. He had been sleeping with his head tucked under his wing. I drew him with his eye open as he was looking at me looking at him. He woke up when he felt me staring at him. Oscar spends a lot of time with Anthony. They are best buds. Oscar likes to sit on Anthony's head when Anthony's hands are busy. Otherwise, Oscar spends his time on Anthony's shoulder, chest, or nearby within Anthony's reach. Oscar is his cockatiel.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Every two weeks I have a day called Errand Day where I drive around and do a bunch of errands. The parking metre was a view from my vehicle while I waited for a shop to open. I was in the parking lot but there were metres on the street.

The two dangling cuties are hanging off our rearview mirror. They are made of wrapped string. The one with red hair my husband has named Herbunculous and the other one is Pirozingura. These are adorably sweet. Anthony has named them all and makes up stories to go with them. We have 6 of these altogether. I only drew the two.

On this Errand Day I also got my nails done. Anthony and I go together to Top Fashion Nails in Sherwood Forest Mall to get our nails done. Anthony gets three nails on his right hand done so that he can play his guitar (He plays fingerstyle guitar). Bill, Lily, and Tammie at Top Fashion nails do a fabulous job on our nails. My nails look wonderful and do not chip or flake at all in the two weeks before getting a fill done. Anthony's nails remain strong and perfect for his guitar playing (and look so natural that you have to really look hard to see they are not).

Saturday, September 10, 2011

On Canada Day I had a little ornamental flag on a toothpick given to me by the people from our coffee clutch in the building's social room. (We have coffee once a week.) I drew the flag here on top of the words to O Canada (Canada's national anthem).

On the facing page is a drawing of my new drawing pen. It is a Lamy. Anthony purchased this for me as a gift. We went to Cambridge, Ontario to a shop called Phidon Pens to purchase this (and some other things). Anthony purchased a new Moleskine sketchbook for me as well. (I have not started using the new sketchbook yet.) I really enjoy using the Lamy and will be using it a lot going forward.

I have more than one favourite colour. I really like red, burgundy, mauve, magenta, pink, and purple.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

My son, Alexander had a short haircut for the first time in his life. A couple of years ago he had his first haircut to shoulder length hair. Before that he had hair that went down to his bottom, and he normally wore it in a braid. Here I am showing you a before and after images of his haircut.

My husband, Anthony, is sitting on the sofa reading a book. He always wears his glasses on his head when he reads. He was very patient about allowing me to draw him. I will be drawing Anthony again, later in the sketchbook, with Oscar, our cockatiel, on his head. Correction: Oscar, Anthony's cockatiel.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

This was our first Father's Day without our father, Vasco Fernando Bettencourt. He passed away on July 10, 2010.

My family got together at his grave on Father's Day. Here I have illustrated his tomb stone with my brother, Mylo, fixing the flowers that are being put by his stone. (My mom eventually planted flowers around the stone). After going to the cemetery we went back to Mylo's home for a small get-together.

Dad loved the colour green and red roses. I have made this drawing predominantly green for him. Some of those flowers are supposed to be roses, but I did not do such a good job of drawing them.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Alexander and I went to Tillsonburg, Ontario for the first time ever on June 10th to support my friend Darylnne McAvany and her family in the Relay for Life 2011 fundraiser. My friend's family fundraise under the banner "Jackie's Butterfly Brigade" in memory of their mother who died of cancer.

The above drawings represent our visit. The little angels were in the small parade around the site, then beside that drawing, is Darlynne in a golf cart in same parade. The two bottom drawings are of Darlynne and Alexander at the camp site. Alexander is playing his ukulele and singing for us.

It was wonderful to see Darlynne again, and great to meet her sisters and family.

The McAvany family have a great banner and display. They won best decorated campsite. They also raised quite nice chunk of change for the cause.

Darlynne McAvany - Survivor

We met when I went to work for Nationwide Advertising Services (1985) and Darlynne was the Senior Graphic Designer and Illustrator. She was not only my mentor but my friend as well. She is an amazing person. There is nothing this woman cannot do. She has an exceptionally generous spirit and it is a real pleasure to know her.

It was with great sadness that I heard about her bout with cancer. It was a shock to see her so diminutive and frail. However, true to spirit, she is a fighter.

I feel blessed to know Darlynne and to be counted as one of her friends.